PODS
by Alexwrxx
Summary: A young boy in Tatooine, Kyle Rey, must finish in 1st place in the annual 2K Pod Race. After an exciting and deadly race, Kyle is recruited by the Empire, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead.


Rivera 18

Alejandro Rivera

ENGL 211

Krygsman

PODS

Prologue/ Intro

The earliest memory I have is me sitting in a pod racer with my father Trel. My father showed me my first pod, and ever since then my life has completely revolved around pod racing. Well that, and because there is nothing else to do here in Tatooine. My mother and I live in a cave home here on Tatooine, surrounded by nothing but sand and rocks as far as you can see, but at least our two suns make an amazing sunset. There are very few things that I can do here, and pod racing is definitely my favorite.

My dad taught me a few things about pods when I was younger, and ever since I have been working to be a Pod Mechanic. I found an old pod that my dad abandoned a while back, and I have been working on it to this day. I hope to use it in the next _2K Pod Race_, which is taking place here on Tatooine. If I win the race I could potentially be scouted and invited off-planet to race, which has always been my dream. Racers that are good enough to compete in different planets are highly respected and _highly_ rewarded.

One day when I was still very small, my father went off-planet to compete in a pod race, and he never returned. My mom still cries about it sometimes, so I know she's still hurt, and so am I, I just try to hide it as much as I can to look strong for my mother. One day I hope to see him again, maybe out on the track!

My father was the first to tell me about the _2K Pod Race_, his took place on Malastare, a planet in the Malastare System, a few lightyears away. It sounded amazing and I couldn't believe he was competing in it. I was so excited to find out the outcome, he had hyped it up so much and loved telling people that he would be competing. The last time I saw him was right before he departed for the big race, and I still remember the last words he said to me, "Make a choice, and never look back". I know that one day, when I get off this planet, I will find him.

The next 2K Pod Race is taking place here on Tatooine, aliens from all over the galaxy come to watch this event. They picked Tatooine this time because there is a really dangerous course down south that can get really intense. Due to the race taking place here, there have been scouts checking out our previous races for potential participants. I did great my last few races, I won two out of the three that the scouts were at. A scout from a place called _The Empire _saw me race and invited me to race in the upcoming 2K! I'm getting a chance to compete in the same race my dad raced in. It still seems unreal to me and I'm going to do my best to win, for my mom, and for my dad.

Chapter I

I would say I'm great racer, I've competed in many races. I love racing and I know if I commit to it, it could make me very rich and happy one day. I've been practicing non-stop for the last few months to be ready for this race. I can barely control my excitement. It's the night before the race and I can't seem to get any sleep. My mom is in her hut sleeping, I didn't want to wake her, so I just went outside for a while. I looked up at the dark galaxy, billions of stars, billions of galaxies, illuminating the dark skies. I laid out here in the sand, just staring up for what seemed to be hours. Eventually I fell asleep.

I woke up to the blinding light of our suns, I couldn't look away; it's been so long since I've seen a sunrise. For a second I completely forgot it's the day of the race! I have been looking forward to this race for months! If I can get top three, I'll have a great chance at getting recruited by a scout. These past few months I've been practicing non-stop, making sure I am ready for the competition. I've been racing around the local pod track to really master my cornering. This race is not going to be easy, there are a ton of species and aliens that come to compete, all looking for a shot to go pro.

If the rumors that I've heard are true, the winner of the 2K Pod Race will go on to get sponsored and race professionally for the _UPRO_ (_Universal Pod Racing Organization_). Competing for UPRO is every racers dream. Professional racers make a ton of money off their races.

My mother had a whole bunch of meiloroon fruit for me to eat in the morning, and it tasted amazing, soft and sour. After breakfast I went straight to work on my pod. The mechanical components are almost finished, but I need to repaint it from when I hit Watto in the last race. I decided to paint it blue with some black accents. My thrusters are going to be blue all around, and my initials will be painted on the side of my pod in black. The only other thing that still needed to be done was install the xeno core, which powers my pods engine. A xeno core is a small glowing sphere that emits enormous amounts of power, it allows my pod to reach the tremendous speeds that it does. I spent all my money on my xeno core at the Nwap Shop down the canyon, the little alien man there was asking for a fortune. Anyway, I started the painting process with help from my best friend, Val.

Val is one of my neighbors, her cave home isn't too far from ours. I have known Val pretty much my whole life; she was the first friend I ever made. I saw her one day exploring around my home, so I approached her and said hi. Val is ten years old just like me, she has the nicest brown hair, and such amazing brown eyes. Val is a very crazy girl, but she's amazing with pods and she is one of the smartest humans I've ever met. She is my second in command when I'm out in the track, and I trust all her decisions. She's always by my side, and that is why she is my bestest friend.

We finished the paint up right around second noon, now we just wait for it to dry and off to the race we go! I quickly took a shower and by the time I got out the paint had finished drying, at least dry enough to race, so we all headed to the stadium. When Val, my mother, and I approached the stadium, we could hear the roaring from the fans inside. Aliens from every galaxy swarmed trying to reach the best seats before anyone else. We unloaded my pod and headed for the racers bay, where all the other racers were doing their final check-ups. Val and I checked my thrusters one more time, and the xeno core looked to be stable. We were ready to race.

We all lined up, surrounded by half a million fans all cheering in different languages. There were twelve racers today, each one in a crazy looking pod they built from scratch. I was in the third row, three other pods lined up beside me.

The race is simple, three laps around the course, the first racer to cross the finish line on lap three wins the race. Each lap is a few hundred miles and you must race through some of the most dangerous terrain on the planet. There is everything from narrow canyons to pitch black caves. Not to mention the other racers who will probably try to kill you; there are no rules and no respect for other racers out on the track, once the canon goes off, it's every alien for themselves.

I sat there in my pod, waiting for the deep sound of the canon, I looked at my mother and Val once more. They stood in the pits ready to assist me with anything. I also caught a glimpse of my scout in the stands, he's a quiet man, at least he sounded like a man. He wears a long robe, the darkest shade of black you have ever seen, and around it is a belt holding a weird looking shiny metal cylinder. I've never seen anything like it, perhaps it's a weapon of some sort. A black, metal face mask covers his face, and he always has his hoodie on, which is kind of weird since it's always burning hot here on Tatooine. I've never seen any alien like him before, he looks to be pretty wealthy though. I have to make sure to impress him; he could potentially sponsor me to race for _The Empire_.

This isn't my first race, but I still get the butterflies in my stomach right before we start. The seconds leading up felt infinite, I waited and waited. For a small second I thought something was wrong, maybe they were being delayed; I looked over at Val, and as soon as our eyes connected, there it went. The loudest and deepest boom you have ever heard.

I immediately looked away and pulled on my thruster levers. My pod shot out the gate, and I could see some pods left behind. One of the pods that didn't take off was Meeps, a little sloth looking alien from a different planet. His power core must have not started properly, that's why me and Val always double check my xeno core before every race. The other pod left behind was an alien they call Tripps. From what I heard, he was out partying super late last night and passed out before the race could start. Besides them, all the other racers blasted out the gate. I was a little behind due to the late reaction I had, but I'll catch up.

The first part of the course is a straight-away in the desert, full speed. I'm reaching intense speeds, going faster and faster. I can see the rest of the racers in the distance, most of them disappearing into the canyons. The canyon is a very narrow path, only allowing one pod at a time. It is a very dangerous part of the course; you have to make sure to not hit the side walls because you WILL lose control and die. I reach the narrow canyons not too long after the others, so luckily, I get a clear path on this lap. The canyons are like a maze, you have to be lucky to not go into a dead end. Every path leads to a _y-_intersection, so you have to choose the right path using your intuition and by trusting your gut.

It takes me a while, but I make it out of the canyons, already I caught up to the trailing racers. The next section of the race is through the dry forest, full of hills and dry trees up to a meter wide. You have to dodge all the trees, and the scariest part is going up a hill because you don't know what's on the other side. That's what TDT-F for, my droid. He has a spot on the front of my pod, he takes care of all mechanics while we're on the move. He can track and map out areas to help me find the fastest and safest routes. He's also equipped with a small laser gun for protection from other racers and their droids. Droids are man's best friend, TDT-F would take a bullet for me, and I would take one for him. I know he'll keep me safe and I trust him with my life.

As I enter the dry forest I have already caught up to the trailing racers. I enter the forest and I immediately hear a loud explosion. One of the racers clipped a tree with his thruster and spun out of control. His pod exploded on impact with another tree. This shows how dangerous this course can be, so I need to be super careful. I'm in ninth place now, right behind number eight. We both swerve and dodge what seems to be an endless wave of trees and branches. I try to get past him but every time I try, he immediately cuts me off, it's like he's anticipating my next move. I see that he keeps cutting me off as soon as I make a move, so I quickly come up with a plan. I wait until there's a big enough tree coming up, and I pretend to make a move. The pod in front of me instantly tries to cut me off and makes a quick jolt to the right, where a meter-wide trunk meets the front of his pod.

I zoom past the cloud of fire and continue full speed ahead, reaching the end of the trees. I can see number five and six in the distance battling it out. I pull on my thrusters and do my best to catch up. We're now racing in Tatooine mud, so the course here is extra slippery. I keep as steady as possible and continue forward. I see number six and seven battling even closer. They seem to be trying to take each other out. They crash into each other repeatedly and both of their droid's fire at each other. I need to get past them but we're closing up on the most dangerous part of the course, the caves. If I don't pass them soon, I'll be in danger by trailing behind them in the dark.

The caves were naturally made, they are under a hug mountain and expand for miles. Our goal is to get through the caves in one piece; the caves are pitch black and there are columns of rock stretching from the floor, to the roof of the caves. But that's not all, you also have to look out for other racers, boulders, and all of the lost and broken machines lost and abandoned inside. Anything you hit, even slightly, can cause you to lose control and leave you spinning into the wall. Instant death. Luckily the caves are faster to cross than the canyons.

I approach pods six and seven close enough to recognize the drivers, Yokî and 他媽的. I don't know much about either of them besides their names, but they seem to really hate each other. The caves are coming up fast, I need to do something fast. I see that 他媽的's pod is getting beat up, plus he looks like the better racer, so I decide to help Yokî out. I slowly come up behind 他媽的's pod and tap his back bumper with one of my thrusters. He swerves and starts veering left but not before taking Yokî with him. They both go left and open up a path for me. I pull away from them and enter full speed into the cave. TDT-F activates his light beam and illuminates as much of the cave as he can. One cool trick that he can do is that he starts beeping and flashing red when there's an object incoming, so he's perfect for guiding me through the cave.

As I get deeper into the cave, I hear an explosion behind me, I know it must've been either Yokî or 他媽的. I'm racing alone right now so it's pretty easy to navigate through the cave and I make it out pretty fast. The bright suns beaming in my eyes as I exit the cave. I only need to pass through this last part to finish off this lap. This final stretch is a flat, open canyon, surrounded by hills and infested with sand people. Sand People are a species native to Tatooine, the harsh environment resulted in them being extremely xenophobic & territorial of their native resources, and often attacking any unknowns that come close to their territory. The Sand People cover their entire bodies in bandages and rags, and they wear weird goggles that cover their eyes. They are all armed with small blades, homemade blasters, and snipers.

This part of the course can be very dangerous too, the hills that surround the racetrack are Sand People territory, and they get very angry and riled up when we pass through. When we race through this part of the course, a whole bunch of Sand People pop out from the hills with their sniper blasters and try to shoot us down. A hit from one those snipers won't do much against a pod, but a direct hit to a racer can be lethal. You have to be careful here and use all your skills to spot and dodge any incoming shots. Luckily the Sand People aren't very good shots, so most of their shots are way off target. I can see the first five racers up ahead; I'm slowly catching up. They seem to have all the Sand People's attention and taking all the shots, so I'm able to race through without any worries on this one.

After passing through the canyon I see the first five racers crossing the finish line; I need to hurry and catch up before it's too late. I dash through the finish line and catch a glimpse of my mother and Val. They are standing in the pit cheering me on, along with thousands of other fans.

I clear the desert with ease, getting closer to the leaders every second.

The rest of the racers up ahead are all very good, at least better than the rest, so it's going to be a tough race from here on out. We all clear the narrow canyon and dry forest fairly easy, and once we reach the Tatooine mud, I'm right behind Chad, the racer in fifth place. I've raced against Chad before in a previous race, he's a talented driver. I believe he comes from the white planet Brodon; he's a bulkier type of alien, almost human looking. I don't talk to him a lot, but the times I have he has come off as very arrogant and cocky. He was one of the best racers on his planet, and I'm sure he's here for a shot at 2K. His pod is a shiny purple color, probably custom made to show off.

When we reach the cave, I'm right on Chads tail, I'm gonna make my move once we go inside. Chad expects me to stay right behind him until we come out of the cave, so I'm going to trick him. As soon as we get into the cave, I turn off all my lights and go completely dark.

Val got me these cool racing glasses for my last birthday, they are super advanced and have a ton of cool features. One feature I really liked was the night vision mode, but I never really had a chance to use it until now. I turned on my night vision and cleared away from Chad.

The cave isn't as narrow as the canyon so it's a lot easier to maneuver around inside. Once my lights are off and I know Chad can't see me, I turn away and head through a different path. With the help of my goggles I clear the cave with no trouble. As I exit the cave I look ahead for Chad, but I only see four racers. That's when I hear his thrusters creeping up behind me.

He exited the cave right after me, and although I got the lead, I still need to get as far as I can from Chad. He stays close behind all the way to the Sand People hills, and I know this time around it won't be as easy to get through. We reach the dunes and I can see a ton of little heads poking out behind the hills. I know I must be careful; I'm being targeted by both the Sand People and by Chad. I had to quickly come up with an idea.

As we pass through the hills I constantly look around, looking for any glare of a scope. The easiest way to spot a sniper is by looking for the glare that the sun makes on their scope. A see a few shots dart by, but nothing even close. Your target is hard to hit when they're racing at incredibly high speeds. As I continue on, Chad bumps me from behind, I have to do something fast. He's slipstreaming right behind me, so I got a good idea. I steered as straight as possible waiting to spot a glare directly in front of me, and after a few moments, sure enough, there it was. The Sand People often position themselves directly in front or behind us because it's a lot easier to hit us. I saw the glare and waiting for the sound of the shot. Pewww.

The laser left the blaster aimed directly at me; I waited a fraction of a second then turned as hard as I could. With me out of the way, the laser aimed directly at Chad. I looked back and saw a horrible blast shoot straight through his shoulder. His pod swerved away, and I continued on my way, dodging incoming lasers, and making it safely out of the hills. On the bright side, Chad can cruise back to the pit with a non-lethal wound and race once again.

*explosion heard off in the distance*

I pass through the finish line again, second lap done, and I'm in fifth place. As I fly by the finish line, I see Tripps still unconscious in his pod, and Meeps slowly climbing back in his pod. It looks like he fixed his power core.

I'm coming up on the fourth racer, the alien Watto, an ugly little alien with a little elephant trunk and wings that look like they come off a Tatooine fly. He is a Toydarian junk dealer, he buys slaves and brings them back to Tatooine for his own work or to resell them. I don't see him much outside our races but I'm pretty sure he owns one of the racers, Anakin Skywalker. He has an old, beat up looking pod. I raced him in my last race, and we clashed the whole time. That's why I needed to re-paint my pod, from all the damage that was caused. He didn't even seem to have washed his pod from the last race. Either way he's not a bad racer and I know he wants to win as much as I do.

I slowly approach Watto and I can see the first two racers up ahead; I got one more lap to catch up. We sprint through the first few obstacles, I'm on Wattos tail all the way up to the cave, I know he's getting nervous. Watto is a dirty racer so I don't want to face him in the cave where he might try something sneaky. I slow up a bit and let him enter first, that way we both can get through quickly. As soon as he gets inside, he gives control of the pod to his bummy looking droid. He then stands up facing me while I enter the cave and points a blaster at me. I wasn't too surprised that he would do that, but I was surprised he did it inside the tight confines of the cave. He starts blasting at me and I start maneuvering around the rocks to dodge his lasers. He isn't a great shot, but he hits my pod multiple times. He has a small blaster so it doesn't do much to my pod, but a shot directly at me could kill me. We're about halfway through the cave and Watto isn't giving up, he's scared that I'll pass him if we both make it out.

After getting shot at endlessly, I come up with a strategy. I need to keep Watto standing and focusing his attention on me, so I start driving right behind him once again. As soon as I get behind him, I tell TDT-F to activate his strobe light and aim it directly at Watto. This makes his aim even worse, so I don't have to worry as much. We're almost out of the cave, I feel pretty confident that I'll pass him quickly. The closer to the exit we get, the more Watto starts to panic. My droids strobe light still beaming in his face. We are a few hundred feet from the exit and I'm catching up fast.

While trailing behind Watto, I see a stalactite hanging from the roof of the cave straight ahead of Watto. We are going incredibly fast and a hit from that would be horrible. I tell TDT-F to turn off the light and I point out the stalactite to Watto, but he refuses to look forward, continuing to blast at me. A continue to point and shout at him to look out, but he's only focused at hitting me and doesn't care what I say. He gets closer and closer until "BAM!", the stalactite clips Watto's head and sends him flying past me. I swerve out of the way to avoid hitting him and continue with the race, his pod still speeding on forwards.

I look back and see Watto stand up, he doesn't look too beat up and he starts running after his pod. Now I'm in third place, but I need to get first. I see the two racers in front of me battling it out before the Sand People hills. Their battle gives me a chance to catch up before we reach the hills. I reach the top two racers, Anakin, and the newcomer Faygo.

Anakin Skywalker is a slave boy here on Tatooine, I've seen him practicing before in the local pod track but I'm pretty sure this is his first real race. I don't know him very well because he just recently came to Tatooine, probably not by choice. He is younger than me by a year or so; he has long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. I have no problems with him, but I do need to beat him.

The other racer is Faygo, a Devaronian. I don't know about him very much either, he's a newcomer to our planet. He's definitely no amateur racer, he seems to be using good strategies. His species is very creepy, but cool in my opinion, they look like space devils. Covered in red skin with huge devil horns coming out his head. The rest of his body is covered in a long brown robe, tied together with Devaronian belt. Devaronians are, and always have been, known for their speed. It is said that Devaronians were the first to achieve lightspeed, so basically, hyperspace is a gift from the devil.

As we approach the hills, I stay behind them. We enter the hills and get blasted with lasers from all directions, the Sand People noticed the pattern and set up this time before we even got to the hills. We all dodged lasers left and right, watching every direction constantly. During the ambush, I was able to pass Faygo. I was in second place! But I want first.

It was Anakin, followed by me, followed by Faygo. The rest of the racers, the ones still alive anyway, were too far back to be visible. After about the halfway mark I noticed something, something Anakin was doing looked familiar. He stopped swerving and started driving directly in front of me. For a second, I was confused, then I noticed what was happening. He had the same idea I had earlier with Chad!

Since I figured out his plan, I tried to act natural so he wouldn't notice. I'm going to wait for the shot, then use my boost to dart forward and left at the same time so I can get past Anakin, who is hopefully going to swerve hard right. I waited until "BANG!", the sniper went off. As the same time, I pushed my boost and dashed forward. Just like I expected, Anakin went hard right. I had overtaken first place! It felt amazing, I made it out the hills and I was just a few miles from the finish line.

I looked back at my opponents, Anakin trailing right behind me, but Faygo wasn't. I looked past Anakin and his droid R2-D2; That's when I saw that Faygo had been hit with the sniper. He must have been driving directly behind me while I trailed Anakin in the hills. He didn't notice what was going on and got hit. He looked to be in pain, but he continued forward. I felt bad for the guy, but this isn't the time to feel bad, it's the time to win. I turned back around, facing directly at my goal, the finish line. I continued speeding forward, until all you could hear were thousands of photo shutters from every direction.

I crossed the black and white flag with the biggest smile on my face; Anakin right on my tail. I couldn't believe it! It seemed unreal at the time, one of my goals was completed. I could only think of what's to come. My mother and Val rushed the end of the course to reach me. Hundreds of aliens swarmed, all crowding around Anakin and me. I stood on my pod, raised my hands the highest I've ever raised them, looked straight up at the stars, and shouted at the top of my lungs until I couldn't any longer.

I looked back down and saw my mother and Val slowly approaching, pushing through the crowd to reach me. I gave TDT-F the biggest hug, then I jumped off my pod onto the sand below. Tons of aliens tried approaching me, I felt like a celebrity. They asked for my autograph and pictures, all of them talking at once in different languages. I pushed past them until I met with my mother in the crowd. She wrapped her arms around me and told me how much she loved me. It was the happiest I felt in a very long time, I never wanted it to end. Just then, I felt a warm hand grab my own hand softly. I knew who's it was; I let my mother go, and turned to Val. She hugged me so hard I could barely breathe. Then she kissed my cheek, and I didn't know how to act.

I looked back to see Anakin walking towards me. He came up to me, dapped me up, and told me "gg". He asked to practice with me sometime then walked away back to a crowd of cheering alien girls. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Faygo cross the finish line. He got third place despite getting sniped by the Sand People. I was honestly impressed with his skill and determination; I can see why the Devaronians are such respected racers.

Upon crossing the line, Faygo was rushed to the medical tent to be treated for his wound. The sniper laser looked to have shot through his lower stomach, blue blood dripping from his wound. The laser missed all major organs, so luckily, he'll survive and live on to race another day. I waved my hand at him, he looked me dead in my eyes, and gave me two thumbs up.

I looked back for my mom, but right behind stood a dark shadow that scared the hell out of me. I stumbled backwards and fell on my ass. I looked up at the figure, it was my scout! He looked just like last time, dark, with some cool armor. He helped me up and congratulated me for my victory. His voice sounded almost robot like, probably due to his mask. He asked me how I felt, and I told him I couldn't be happier. I was just hoping he would bring up a sponsorship or something.

Chapter II

He must have read my mind, because just then, he asked "Any plans for the future as of now?". I looked at him and told him the truth. "No.". He then told me about the Empire and how there are countless opportunities for my future. He told me he wants to recruit me to pilot for the Empire. I couldn't believe it, getting recruited is all I could ask for. I wanted to run to my mom to tell her because I couldn't hold my excitement, but as soon as I moved, almost immediately, my recruiter grabbed my arm. He grabbed me and told me something that gave me goosebumps. He said, "No one can know where you go.". He said it in the most serious voice I have ever heard, it was almost scary. I really didn't know how to react.

I stood straight up and looked at him in his eyes, "What do you mean? Why not?", I said, trying to sound as intimidating as him. "Because it's a liability to the Empire." he said. He explained that taking in such a young pilot is risky, no matter how talented I may be. He told me about how dangerous the job can be, how it's so much different than racing here on Tatooine. After he explained it, I kind of understood his point, or it could still just be the excitement I felt.

He told me to meet him after the first sunset, gave me a paper, then walked away, slowly disappearing in the crowd of aliens. I looked at the paper, it was coordinates for our meeting place. I folded it back up, then shoved it away in my pocket. After securing it, I walked back to my mother and Val. They were with some weird looking aliens, and they were holding the biggest, shiniest trophy you've ever seen. It was tall and it was gold. On the top, laid the coolest pod I have ever seen, it was held up by a futuristic looking podium. I ran over there and they greeted me in their language while handing me the trophy. It was heavy, a lot heavier than I thought. I held it up as high as possible; the stadium boomed with thousands and thousands of cheers. I gave my trophy to my mom and hugged her once again. We took one more look around us, the crowd now slowly departing to the afterparties. We started heading to my pod, we strapped it up, and headed home. My mother wanted to celebrate, but I needed to meet with my recruiter, so I told her I was super tired and that we should celebrate another time. She agreed and we headed home.

When we got home Val congratulated me again, I hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, and said "Thank you.". I told her I had something really important to do and that I needed to leave. She looked at me straight in my eyes, then kissed me once more, this time on the lips. I knew that she knew she wouldn't see me for a while. It was a long kiss, and it only made it harder for me to leave her. She pushed away from me and said goodbye. I turned around and went inside; listening to her leave in her land speeder made me sad.

I went inside and started packing my stuff. I filled my backpack with clothes and food. I got tons of Beuglu chips and Gekyume soda. When I finished packing the essentials, I went to the center quarters of our hut and told my mom I had to meet with my recruit to discuss a possible job. She looked really proud, she hugged me and whispered, "Make a choice, and never look back.". I shivered, goosebumps crawling all over my body. I told her I loved her and left. I really wasn't sure how long it would be until I see her again. I felt so much pain leaving her here alone, especially since my dad left her too, but I know it's for the best, and one day, I'll be back with all the currency in the world to take her to the nicest planet in the universe.

I walked to my pod, waited for TDT-F to boot up, and sped away. The first sun was almost down; I had to hurry. I went through deserts and canyons, crossed a bridge over an endless pit, and reached some rocky mountains. I arrived at the coordinates; it was a small opening surrounded by mountains, hidden to others. In the center stood a medium sized spaceship. I looked crazy, it was the coolest ship I had ever seen. It was completely blacked out with a white symbol on the side, probably to represent the Empire.

I parked my pod off to the side and headed inside. In the entrance stood the man that recruited me. He told me to head inside and closed the ramp. He guided me to a table and told me to sit. I did as he told and sat there in silence waiting for him to speak.

"My name is Darth Juul, I work with the Empire to bring order and peace to our galaxy. We are an organization spreading all throughout the universe, and our numbers increase every day. We are always looking out for new members, especially those with talent and skill. You did good out there today, you were able to come back and win after getting that late start, and I noticed you have a real knack for hurting your opponent's when it's necessary. I think you are a perfect candidate for the Empire, we would love to have a pilot with the skills that you have. You would obviously be paid very handsomely if you're successful in your role with the Empire. You could buy the largest quarters in the nicest planet you could think of for you and your mother, and still have more than enough to buy the fastest ship in the galaxy. What do you think?".

I shook my head, still trying to understand everything.

"The reason you can't tell anyone is because we are a lowkey organization. We don't like too much publicity. You're also going to be the youngest pilot we've ever had, which is a risky move, people might hate on us because of it. But you should feel honored, never forget that. We leave tonight; I'm taking you up to the main ship, there you'll get set up with gear and your own ship. You will also receive bonus currency upon arrival as a token of gratitude for your dedication to the Empire. We leave in one hour."

For a second I just stood there staring at Juul. I was amazed at the idea of having my own ship too pilot in space. I looked at him and said, "Can I have my bonus now. I would like to leave part of it for my mother.". He looked at me and sighed. "Sure." he said. He handed me a small sack. I was heavy; I looked inside of it; it was full of gold coins! He told me to be back before second sunset. I shook my head and ran out to my pod.

I raced home, reaching incredible speeds. I reached my hut and parked in the front. I put my hand in the small sack, pulled out five coins and closed the sack. I put the five gold coins in my pocket and left the sack in my mother's mail cube. I took one last look at my hut, then I sped away again in my pod.


End file.
